The Ghost by the Road

 
 

A story told by Dickie Moss.

 

teecxo’      hinee    biiteino’,    wo’ei3    heenei’isiihi’,      tih’eenentoo3i’.

long ago     those     ghosts      and so forth      when they were around here

wohei    ne’nih’iisiisehtonihoot      biitein    nehe’ hinen.

wohei    that was how he already tricked him      a ghost     this     man

cih’oowuniihiseehok,      he’ne’ee’ino’      tihto3iheit      he’iiteihini3.

he was coming downstream     and then he realized     that he was following him     someone

he’ih’iiceene’ein,      hinee      ceene’einit.

he was turning his head around to look      that one     he turned around to look

noonotnoohobee,      he’ihciinoohobee.

he was looking all around for him      he didn’t see him

wohei     he’ihcih’ii’eewoteiseen.

wohei     the sound of [the ghost’s] walking could be clearly heard

he’ne’ii-      hiitoo’usee3i,      he’ih’iitoo’useen.

and then     whenever he stopped      the ghost would stop too

wohei    cee’ce3ei’oo3i,      he’ih’iicihce’woteiseen.

wohei    he’s setting off again     the sound of the ghost walking towards him was there again

heenoo      he’ihcihto3ihe’.

certainly    it was following him

wohei    hiit    he’iicxooyeiniihi’,    he’ne’iiko’xootowoot.

wohei     here     after a while      then he would clear his throat

he’ih’iiko’xootowoon.

it cleared its throat

he’ne’nii’koesohoe’et,      ‘oh     he’ih’iikoe’sohoen.

then he clapped his hands     and     it would clap its hands

he’ihceitee      hinit;      he’iitneenini’i noxuutei’      tohcih’eeckoohut;

he was heading this direction right there     somewhere      [from] the west as he was heading home

‘oh biih’iyooni’.

but it’s dark

wohei    hinee heetohboobo’ouute’,      wohei     hinee     ni’ec,

wohei    that    where the land is all red      wohei    that      lake

wohei     hinit      hooxuu3iiw;

wohei      right there      bridge

bebene      3oo3ooniihi’      he’ihcihnee’ei’isee.

approximately     right in the middle     that’s how far he was walking to

noh    beebei’on    no’o’      he’ihkohtobetouuh      he’iiteihi3i.

and     far away     way out from the settlements      ;it was calling strangely    someone

heeyowniitouhu3i,      he’ihcihwo’owtoo3iini.

each time it hollered out     it was closer to him

‘oh    woow nehe’    hinen    he’ihnoxowuuni tootiseet      hini’    hooxuu3iiw.

but     now     this    men     he had walked very close to it    that      bridge

heihii    he’ihcihtoo3iini...      heetitooxniitouhut.

soon      it was close behind him     where it called out last

bebeneh      hooxuu3iiw;     ne’wooniitonoot.    

approximately    bridge      then that was when he last heard it

ne’ehno’useet      hi’in hooxuu3iiw.

then he arrived there     that     bridge

'oh    he’iiteihi3i    he’ih3i’ookuu;      noh    hoowbeetehce’toko,

but    someone      he was standing there     and     he didn’t want to run back away

hoowbeetehce’toko.

he didn’t want to run back away from there

noonoko’      hee3e’inootiit.

might as well     while he still had his wits

noo’uusi’oot,      ne’xookcesisihcehit.

he’s closing his eyes      then he started to run right through there

noh    hoowoe’in      wohoe’eete3einee,     wo’ei3    he’iisiini.

and     he doesn’t know     if he’ll run into it     or      what will happen

beebeet     cenihceeyownihi’koohut.

just      he is just continuing to run to the other side

'oh     ne’nih’ii3oo3itootou’u.

and     that’s how they told about this event

hinee no’o’,    wotnono’oteihehk      heetoot      hii3e’.

that     way out away from camp      I guess he’s powerful     where he is      there

hi’in    toonbeneetnokooyeisibetit;

that      whoever wanted to go out on a fasting quest

noh nooxeihi’    how3o’uuni...

and     maybe          never

noh     neyo’o      nih’etnee’eesixoho’.

and      my brother-in-law      I was supposed to take him out there

wouuceh,      hoo3itoono’,      noh     hoowuusehce’iini...

well what do you know     I told him about it    and     we didn’t go out there again

hiine3oon     hiniisonoon     huut     no’o’,      nenebiihii’     no’o’,    ne’nih’ixoheit.

instead      his father      here      out away     in the north    out away     that was where he took him

ce’iito’      hinee hii3e’,      heetboobo’etoyooni’.

he got scared of it again      that     over there     where the red hills are

ne’nih’ii3oo3itoono’.

and that’s how I told him the story

ne’nih’eeneis3oo3itee3i’    nuhu’     beh’eihoho’.

that was how they told it     these     old men

neenei’nou’u      nih’eeneitnokooyei3i’,      nokooyei3i’.

they know about them     the places to fast for power     they fasted for power

hi’in nenee’.

that     it

‘oh    heenei3oo3itootou’u.

but     they told about those places

wohei.

wohei

Free Translation

Original Text